Warangal: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti proved its strength in the state with a massive public meeting at Prakashreddypet in Warangal on Thursday, where an estimated 15 lakh people had turned up. The occasion was the TRS party’s 16th formation day.

This is the first such public meeting the TRS has held after coming to power. Party supremo and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will be more than satisfied with the response. Though he made no new announcements, his speech gave a fillip to party workers preparing for the 2019 elections.

The Chief Minister said several people obstructed the development of Telangana in united Andhra Pradesh and they are still trying to obstruct development today. “We must unite to fight them and achieve ‘Bangaru Telangana’ we all dream of,” he said. He said that no one believed in the party when it was created 16 years ago, but it has achieved its target of creating a separate state of Telangana and is running the government for three years now.

KCR takes a dig at his detractors
“All the elections conducted after the formation of Telangana have been in our favour, and 2019 will not be any different,” TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao told the huge crowd. He made fun of those who say the TRS was losing public support.

TRS leaders and workers reach the public meeting venue in tractors decorated in party colours on Thursday. (Photo: Deccan chronicle)
TRS leaders and workers reach the public meeting venue in tractors decorated in party colours on Thursday. (Photo: Deccan chronicle)

“During the GHMC elections, CPI leader K Narayana said he would cut his ear if the TRS won the elections. We all know what happened. Some other person is growing his beard saying he will shave only after the TRS rule is completed. All these people can cut or grow whatever they want after the election results in 2019,” he said.

Mr Rao said he was happy at the response of the people who turned up for the meeting and said it was because of them that the TRS was in this position today. He dared other parties in TS to conduct a public meeting of these proportions.

Mr Rao urged farmers to come together and form committees at each and every level and create a strong community that has the power to decide the price of the produce they have worked hard for.

The CM claimed the state had struggled to rid the people of problems with electricity, irrigation and drinking water. He said the welfare schemes being implemented give power to the common man in creating a stronger state. “Until the last drop of my blood, I will fight to achieve Bangaru Telangana,” he declared.

Mr Rao also accused the Congress of not caring for the people when in power, but now trying to put hurdles in the government’s efforts to build irrigation projects for the people.

Sidelights
Flowery welcome
Flowers were sprinkled through motorised paragliders on people reaching the TRS’ public meeting venue at Prakashreddypet in Hanamkonda. Warangal West MLA Dasyam Vinay Bhaskar said the flowers were sprinkled on the orders of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. “KCR told us that giving a proper reception to guests is part of Telangana’s culture. Respect guests, he told us. That’s why are showering people with flowers,” he said.

Colour me pink
It was pink all the way, with supporters making their way to the public meeting venue on vehicles decorated with flowers and TRS flags. Bicycles, tractors, trucks, cars, bikes, autos, even trains, had a touch of pink as the guests braved the hot sun and turned up in lakhs.

Anything goes
Several leaders joined their supporters and came on tractors and buses. Ministers Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Jupalli Krishna Rao, Laxma Reddy and others came on tractors with supporters from their respective constituencies.

Leaders in a jam
Traffic came to a standstill for several km on the Hyderabad-Warangal and Karimnagar-Warangal roads. Traffic jams spread to several km. Minister Etala Rajender, MP B. Vinod and other TRS leaders were among those who were stuck in traffic for hours.